During the class discussions that I have observed, the majority of questions my cooperating teacher asks are questions that relay facts pertaining to a topic. My cooperating teacher asks many of these questions while leading up to a question which requires the students to apply the concept to a new situation. The teacher also encourages her students to think critically by asking questions which require the students to think. For example, during a discussion on speed, the students had read an excerpt on cheetahs and the teacher asked "Do you really think it is possible for a cheetah to reach a speed of 60 miles per hour?" The students were quiet while they thought about it and then someone said "that can't be right, an animal can't run as fast as a car." Then a second student said "I think its possible because I remember reading that cheetahs are the fastest animals." As for whether or not my CT asks students to provide evidence to support what they explain, I have seen her ask the students to explain why they think something. My CT also has students express scientific ideas to other students by encouraging the class as a whole to answer questions that individual students may have. I have not noticed a variation in the type of questions that my CT asks due to ability level.
Facilitating good classroom discussions can be difficult, but is necessary in providing an effective science classroom. Asking students to think critically, analytically and to provide support for their answers is all part of teaching students to behave like scientists. At the beginning of the school year, I would like to have a lesson where I can explain and demonstrate to the students that our classroom discussions will run in this manner because that is the way scientists study concepts. I will explain to the students that our science class is not just about learning scientific concepts, but is also about learning how to think like scientists. I will encourage students to ask a variety of questions so that they can develop their critical thinking skills. Like my CT, I will open class discussions by asking questions that require students to relay facts. From here, I will build up the following questions so that the students begin to apply the facts and then eventually can provide examples and evidence for how they apply these facts. In these discussions, I would also like to train my students to try and answer each others questions during discussions and even when there are questions during assignments. In my opinion, the teacher should "point" students in the right direction, but the students should do the "walking" themselves.
Facilitating good classroom discussions can be difficult, but is necessary in providing an effective science classroom. Asking students to think critically, analytically and to provide support for their answers is all part of teaching students to behave like scientists. At the beginning of the school year, I would like to have a lesson where I can explain and demonstrate to the students that our classroom discussions will run in this manner because that is the way scientists study concepts. I will explain to the students that our science class is not just about learning scientific concepts, but is also about learning how to think like scientists. I will encourage students to ask a variety of questions so that they can develop their critical thinking skills. Like my CT, I will open class discussions by asking questions that require students to relay facts. From here, I will build up the following questions so that the students begin to apply the facts and then eventually can provide examples and evidence for how they apply these facts. In these discussions, I would also like to train my students to try and answer each others questions during discussions and even when there are questions during assignments. In my opinion, the teacher should "point" students in the right direction, but the students should do the "walking" themselves.